"My Eclipse"

My kayak, my old faithful, never seems to have a dry hatch anymore despite my re caulking efforts. She is getting her fair share of scratches and perhaps those alone would slow her down a bit. Perhaps my own engine is revving a bit lower. We have both shared many waters and kilometers together. Many muds, mucks, seaweeds and sands. However I am still captivated by the beauty of a kayak, the back-packing of the waters in many ways, not just a means to an end but a modem of companionship as the more you get to know her the better she'll perform and more responsive she will most likely be. Soon I'll have another but The Eclipse will always be that boat that turned me on to kayaking the most part of the family of paddles that has come to be her own.

"Long Harbour & Placentia Bay"

 

Tony and I decided to do a paddle out of Long Harbour today to take advantage of the good weather. Almost any place would have done you well today. It was a beautiful paddle which was in a spot we had never paddled before which always tweaks the curiosity and explorer mind in a kayaker. We were treated to some calm weather, some sea life and a good bunch of hours of paddle camaraderie. A bit more than 20kms, with slight overcast skies and virtually no wind.

"Long Harbour"

 

On our return from Placentia Bay today I did a little loosening up paddle around our take-out spot. Sometimes after a great paddle I find it hard to let go. Just when I feel I have kinks worked out, my mind set for paddling I get this ensuing feeling of loss knowing I have to leave something behind, especially if it was very enjoyable, like today. I know that I will take the experience with me and have it for ever like I do all my kayaking trips, short and long. So when I return it is sometimes as enjoyable to do a little round about to savor every last drop of all those natural endorphins and all natures beauty and smells knowing that there will always be another day. I can't imagine life without water. It's funny that I should say that because my Mother always said that, "if God made anything better than water, he kept it for himself." Today I believe her, as I always have.

"Long Harbour"

 

Long Harbour comes by it's name earnestly. It is in fact a long harbour. We put in at Mt. Arlington Heights which is a bit of a ways inside the harbour and we still had a nice paddle to get out. In the distance you can see the group of Iona Islands with Merchant Island and Burke Island being the predominant ones. To the west of this group of Islands in the distance is Argentia where the ferry from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia begins its' run in June to Sept. The ferry in Port Aux Basques runs year round.These bouys are marking some sort of fish farming perhaps mussels.

"Bit of a Reef"

 

Bit of a reef near Shag Rocks in Long Harbour.

"Shag Rocks"

 

As you pass Crawley Island on the way out of Long Harbour you come upon Shag Rocks...well if you aim for them. This is a bit of a shallow area with some hidden reef and gnarly waters around the head of the rock formation on the north side. We passed through the "reefy" side and the Shag Rock Head side and was met with a bit of turbulent water and this on a relatively calm day. This area would be treacherous in rough weather.

"KIng Island"

 

King Island was our lunch spot today as we paddled from Long Harbour about nine miles of calm water interspersed with gnarly headlands, reefs, shoals and interesting wave action between Islands. For the most part very calm paddling with little breaks just to take in the sounds of the water, waves, birds and two Minke Whales we observed along our route.

"Hole In The Wall Island"

 

From King Island you can glance over to Hole In The Wall Island which is a stone's throw away. These Islands are part of A group of Islands called the Iona Islands. Some have beaches and take out spots others like Burke Island, does not.

"Beachcomber?"

 

Yeah he was but not for long. Amazing the amount of drag. We cut Tony's booty free, so that he could be free.

"Sassy Little Burke Island"

 

When we departed King Island today we decided to paddle around the western side of Burke Island and the head back into Long Harbour. As you do this Little Burke is on it's northern shore. There is a fair bit of clearance between Big Burke and Little Burke but the water in between is just nasty. We decides to round the west side of Little Burke but made a mental note to come back and play in the summer.

"Dry Dock"

 

Well when we left this dock this morning at about 1030h it was obviously high tide as we slid directly into the water. On the way back we knew it would be max ebb when we docked. Not much of a problem really as we just lifted our boats on the dock. Excellent paddle today Tony. A good 20km or so on a Good Friday. Thanks my friend.

"Red Of Night..Quidi Vidi"

 

A stroll around the village of Quidi Vidi last evening allowed me to take this shot of a full moon. Of course I've played with the image but the evening was so serene, the water so calm and the mood excellently tranquil....the temp about 8 degrees.

"Steady As She Goes"

 

One of the first Icebergs to glide by Cape Spear I got a snap of. It was quite small by Iceberg standards I guess and appeared to be trapped in pack ice floating just offshore. The sun was quite bright and although there was little berg drama it is the beginning of the transit of Icebergs down what is known as Iceberg Alley here in Newfoundland. The yearly migration of Bergs shed from the mother of all loads, Glaciers, in Greenland, make their pilgrimage of sorts to their death in the warmer waters of Newfoundland where the Labrador Current and Gulf Stream Current flowing over Canada's Grand Banks meet. The warm Gulf Stream which originates in the Gulf of Mexico seems to be the silent killer of 10,000 year old chunks of ice leaking pent up ancient climate traces as they slither by seemingly unwary of their coming demise but not going totally unnoticed as the larger monstrosities scrape the underwater seascape and leave their own indelible marks in parting. Many are secured longevity in the hoards of cameras that captures their arrivals and departures under all marine conditions and if you think you've seen all the wonders you must truly add these to your list.

"On Approach"

 

It happens all the time when you paddle on the ocean and want to return home. When conditions change or maybe don't you still have to determine an approach. An approach in a kayak is sometimes I guess like landing an airplane, not that I ever done so or ever will, in my mind just seems similar to some degree. There are calculations probably most done subconsciously, like what stroke to employ or what edge to take, now these calculations may be more important near shore. Granted most bodies of water, coves, bays, inlets, tickles, harbours etc you enter when returning from sea have pretty big entrances to a kayak. Sure, but things like clapotis, shoaling, current, covered hazards (rocks)that may expose and cover with swell and or waves, huge cliffs with down drafts, gusting winds,or constricted entrances (such as Quidi Vidi) can all provide interesting and challenging passages at different times of day during different conditions such as fog, wind, rain, snow sleet etc. If you use rudders or skegs there may be parallels to similar components of an aircraft but certainly not as complicated. Now the paddle in concert or individually with skegs or rudders can provide degrees of lift when needed and certainly propulsion and depending on the paddle, employ similar lift characteristics as those of wings on a plane, well we do have winged blades.

Things such as viscosity(solute concentration in H2O), drag (imperfect surfaces), flutter(improper paddle stroke), not to mention boat design all to some degree influence an approach. Skill as in flying anything especially a kayak by the seat of your literal ass is most times fun, challenging, calculated, engrossing, enjoyable and able to be done at a pace suitable to your skills and suitable to conditions hoping you have one to meet the requirements of the other.

Negative G's are most likely to get you wet but proper skill and maneuvering will only allow that to be a temporary sensation with the execution of a quick roll to keep you going on your way.

In reality on this paddle we were trying to stay afloat and enjoy the scenery of Cabot Tower on Signal Hill approaching the entrance of the Narrows to St. John's Harbour, Newfoundland, with good pal Tony!!! lol

"A SOF Display"

 

This is a kayak from the Coast of Labrador. You can notice the "D" shaped cockpit. It seems that the cockpit evolved in many forms from round, oval, D shaped etc. Sometimes as varied as the shape of hulls. Boat design depending to a large degree on availability of materials such as whale bone, seal skins, walrus skins, tools, etc during a given year. It is amazing to me to realize that kayaks have been around for so long. Like in the early hundred's A.D.

So next time when you paddle, sit back and dream on the history of your craft and feel the ocean beneath your own skin and be taken back to a time when this vehicle, this mode of transportation and hunting platform helped an ancient society flourish into our modern day.

"Ballistic Nylon, SOF"

 

At the kayaking exhibit in The Rooms Museum in St. John's NL, one of our club members had his SOF on display. It is made of ballistic nylon and stitched together over a wooden frame whose pieces are tied together. It is a very solid looking structure and didn't require the wife to chew any materials or skins for pliability like in seal skinned kayaks of Greenland origin.

The first lecture was by Kevin McAleese, curator of Archaeology and Ethnology on Ancient Craft that gave us a look at these ingenious skinned boats and the Inuit who invented them. I found the lecture very interesting and learned a bit more about the ancestry of the boats we paddle today. It was cool to look upon an old photo from the late 1800's of about 30 sealed skinned boats all rafted together knowing that each of them at some point served as a unique hunting vessel.

"Downtown, St.John's Newfoundland"

 

During a visit to The Rooms for a Kayaking Exhibit I stepped outside in the overcast day to capture downtown.

"The Battery, St. John's Newfoundland"

 

Learning HDR, (High Dynamic Range)I'll be glad when we get some sun so I can experiment more with light.LOL This is The Battery at the entrance to St. John's Harbour where we paddled to last weekend.

"The Rooms Newfoundland"

 

The Rooms tomorrow is the site of a kayak exhibition in St. John's Newfoundland. There will be slide show presentations, SOF exhibit, and kayak displays. It is a relatively new endeavour for the Newfoundland and Labrador Kayak Club but should prove educational for newbies and general interest sake alone.

I processed this image I took today with HDR software. It is the first one I did. This High Dynamic Range photography is amazing to me and can create some pretty spectacular images using an over and underexposed image along with the original. AS I gain experience with the software I am hoping to present a different way of viewing some of my shots on kayaking. It will be a challenge because it all works much better with non-moving subjects, landscapes, people stills, etc.

"Thanks To Barry"

Us heading out into St. John's Bay. You probably can't see us even when you click to enlarge, but we are there, heading out into the expanse of the ocean. Thanks Barry.




Passing through the Gut of Quidi Vidi on Sunday. Tony and I are captured. When we returned to Quidi Vidi after our paddle to St. John's harbour a note was left on my windshield. It indicated that pictures were taken of us and if we wanted to view them to contact the number on the note. So I did and Barry was kind enough to email them to me.

"Near Distant St. John's"

 


Tony and I decided to have a paddle from Quidi Vidi to St. John's Harbour. ABout a twenty minute jaunt under good conditions each way. We had gusting winds but clear blue sky and had a great day on the water. It turned out to be some what of a boating exploration for me as I meandered aroud the boats docked in the harbour. Tony of course had his own perspective. Oh the joys of seeing things through different eyes.

"Red Right Return"

 


No problem for me. Some of the boats from the paddle today however must have wondered how they were going to fit through. Most ikely not. They have the charts afterall. Oh yes, harbour pilots too.

"The Fishing Boat: Downtown"

 


The beginning of a "boatiful" day.

"OK, OK, .you get the right of way!"

 


You Betcha!!

"The Great Swan"

 

It was truely a Big Boat day on our trip from Quidi Vidi to St. John's Harbour. I felt like a little kid playing around the big boats. Well maybe not but I did have fun zig-zagging in and around them and pddling up close to their rudders and bows and wondering what seas they would not be able to sail in.